Machine for coating can bodies



Nov. 10,1942.

A. L. KRONQUEST 'MACHINEFOR COATING CAN BODIES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25, 1940 Nov. 10, 1942 A. KRoN uEs-f 2,301,293

MACHINE FOR COATiNG CAN BODIES I Filed Jan. 25, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 H r i I Y W ET J E a i IHI g x R m Q i? w ii Iiii l 1 w a .fliHiW 9 Vb; Z

W3 Q jwvtwro? R Wmw N Nov. 10, 1942. A. KRONQUEST 2,301,293

MACHINE FOR COATING CAN BODIES Filed Jan. 25, l940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 HHmly I um mm mun III l,'l

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Nov. 10, 1942. KRQNQUEST 2,301,293

MACHINE'FOR COATING CAN BODIES Filed Jan. 25, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov. 10, 1942. A. KRONQUEST 2,301,293

MACHINE FOR COATING CAN BODIES Filed Jan. 25, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Nov. 10, 1942 MACHINE FOR COATING CAN BODIES Alfred L. Kronquest, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 25,1940, Serial No. 315,580

13 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvement in coating apparatus and particularly seeks to provide a machine for internally coating flanged can bodies. I

In connection with the packaging of certain beverages, of which beer forms an example, it is desirable that the beverage be protected from contact with the metal of the cans, and it is quite common to provide aprotective coating within such cans. When the metal is coated in the sheet with a suitable protective coating preparatory to the making of the body blanks, the coating is apt to become broken or marred during fabrication of the can bodies. Furthermore, when a solder bond is used for the side seam, the beverage may work into the side seam and contact the solder and thus become contaminated. Eflorts have also been made to spray and otherwise coat the inner surfaces of the can bodies after they have been shaped and seamed, but difficulty has been experienced in obtainingdesirably uniform coverage of the container surfaces.

More recently means have been developed by which a can body after it is flanged and ready for attachment of the ends thereto, is coated by immersing it in the coating material. Apparatus for coating flanged can bodies in the manner mentioned is disclosed in a co-pending application for U. S. Letters Patent, Ser. No, 136.473; flied on April 12, 1937, by Alfred L. Kronquest. In the apparatus disclosed in said application the can bodies are fed one after another nto traveling supporting devices which are moved in succession so as to lower the can body into the coating bath by an endwise movement of the can body into the bath. When the can body is raised from the bath, the coating material will drain therefrom leaving a film of the coating material covering both the inner and outer surfaces of the coating approximately ne-half of the internal surface and allowing the material to partially set,

- drained therefrom.

slightly whereby the coating material accumulating on the upper face of the lower flange is After leaving these draining bars, the can bodies are conveyed through a section of the chamber where they are subjected to a current of air that passes onto and through the can bodies to assist in the setting of the coating.

The present invention relates to apparatus generally similar to that disclosed in the abovereferred to application, but which presents sev-. eral novel structural features in the traveling supporting devices, and also effects the desired coating in a somewhat different manner.

It has been observed that when the entire surface area of a flanged can body to be coated is covered in a single operation, as by immersion into and withdrawal from a coating bath, this practice is apt to result in a downward drawing away of the coating material due to the efiect of surface tension plus the effect of gravity. As a consequence, the coating at the upper flange and end of the can body becomes quite thin, and that at the lower flange and end of the body i relatively thick. Also when the coating is effected by total immersion,-the external surface of the can body is .covered as well as the internal surface. Since it is necessary to coat only the inner surface of the body, such external coating results in a material waste of coating material,

This invention avoids the above mentioned difficulties by coating only the internal urface of a flanged can body and by providing means for effecting such coating in two stages, namely,

then inverting the body and coating the other half of .the internal surface.

Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a machine for-coating a lower portion of the internal surface of successively presented flanged-can bodies.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character stated in which the flanged can bodies are successively received in bottom edge sealed relation by continuously" i'raveling'can body supporting devices having provision for effecting an upward flooding of coating material into the lower portion of the bodies and a subsequent releasing of the coating material to allow the coating material to flow downwardly out of the coated can bodies.

- Another object of the invention is to provide flanged can body. The support for the can body 40 is constructed so as to contact with the edge portion only of the lower flange of the can body, and has an opening therethrough which permits the free flow of the coating material into and through the can body when the support is lowered; After the can body is raised from the coat ing bath, it is placed between yielding clamping jaws which engage the edge portion only of the upper flange of the can body. This remove the can body from the'supports and the conveyor carries the can body in a circuitous path through the combined draining and setting chamber, In the draining chamber there are bars placed relaapparatus of the character stated which includes tive to the path of travel of the can bodies so a plurality of 'canbody supporting units movable that said bodies contact with and are tilted 55 in an orbital path and each comprising upper and lower aligned supporting members adapted to receive a can body uprightly between them, said lower units each including telescopic parts confining a volume of coating material, and

means for bringing about relative movement between the upper and lower supporting members of each unit to first cause the upper and lower ends of the can body to be clamped between the upper and lower supporting members and then cause the parts of said lower supporting member to telescope and eflect a flooding of coating ma terial into said can body,

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character stated which includes a traveling conveyor adapted to receive the can bodies after the lower internal portions thereof have been coated and move the same through a combined draining and setting chamber.

With these and other objects in view which will more fully appear, the nature of the inven tion will be more clearly understood by following the description, the appended claims,'and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of a portion of the machine with parts broken away.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail vertical section showing one telescoping dipper at the can body receiving station.

' vices included in the turret assembly so that the lower internal surfaces of the can bodies are contacted by the coating material which is forced upwardly therein for coating approximately onehalf the can bodies. The can bodies are then withdrawn from the turret by the conveyor means G and moved through, the combined draining and setting chamber F;

The turret assembly C .tvhich effects and controls the coating of the ffianged can bodies includes a turret 5 having in plurality of radially I disposed and dependably mounted brackets S,

Figure 7 'is a somewhat diagrammatic plan; I

view of the cam of Figure 6 and indicating the cycle of operation followed by each dipper assembly.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the'invention as.disclosed in the particular embodiment illustrated includes a supporting frame generally designated A, an annular coating material receiving tank 13 mounted thereon, a turret each of which is provided with guideways 7. Each bracket 5 has a cross head 8 associated therewith and slidably mounted in the guideways i thereof. Each cross head carries a stud 9 having a roller follower 89 mounted on the lower end thereof. A stationary cylindrical cam it having a cam groove l2 fonnedin the outer face thereof is secured to the support A. The roller followers it engage in the cam groove i2. As the turret assembly (3 is rotated by the driving connections D, each cross head 8 will be caused to partake of a movement of reciprocation in the guideways i of the brackets b as a result of the engagement of the followers it in the cam groove l2.

As shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, each cross head 8 is also provided at its upper end with an arm i3 extending radially a distance sufficient to overhang the tank B containing the coating material. A dipper assembly it is dependably secured to the end of each arm i3 and is disposed within the tank B. Each dipparts i5 and it and constantly tending to urge them apart. The male element :26 is provided with a longitudinallynisposed keyway it adapted to be engaged by a retaining key 2t removably mounted in the female element it to thereby limit the amount of travel of the element i6 less conveyor chain G which passes about the I I present instance will be unnecessary.

In the present machine, the flanged can bodies are introduced bythe feed-in conveyor E which presents the bodies atthe receiving station to successively'registering can body supports carried by the turret. The can body supports on the turret are then manipulated by dein both directions.

it will be obvious that the assembly will also par take of the same reciprocatory movement as the cross head. a

A sprocket gear annulus 2| is secured to the upper face of'the turret 5 and has its pitch circle disposed in vertical alignment with the axes of the respective dipper assemblies M. A plurality of brackets 22 are secured to and depend from the under face of the sprocket 2| and are respectively disposed in radial alignment with the respective brackets 6. jEach bracket 22 includes a horizontally disposed and radially extending abutment shoulder-23- adapted to span and en;

gage the upper edge of a flanged can body, and

Since the above described 'dipper assembly is secured to the cross head ii,

28 of the rotating turret. A guide rail 28 ex tends from the point at which the can bodies are engaged with the segments 24 to. the point where they are removed therefrom and is disposed in concentric relation to the axis of the turret. The guide rail 28 cooperates with the arcuate segments 24 in forming composite supporting means for the flanged can bodies, as illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings.

The can feed plate 28 may be provided with an inclined plane delivery surface 29 disposed in the path of travel of the can bodies as they are engaged by the segments 24, and which allows the can bodies engaged between the segments 24 and the guide rail 28 to move downwardly until the under surfaces of the upper can body flanges rest on the upper surfaces of the segments 24 and the guide rail 28 and become firmly supported thereby.

At the time each can body has thus become 28, the associated roll cam follower III has reached that portion of the cam groove i2 which begins to rise. Therefore, continued rotation of the turret will effect a lifting of the associated dipper assembly ll through the cross head and cam follower connections 8 and I8. By reference to Figure 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that continued lifting movement of the dipper assembly will bring the flange H of the male dipper element l6 into engagement with the bottom flange of the can body and said can body will then be raised until its upper flange engages the abutment shoulder 23 on the depending bracket 22 and the can'body supporting elements 38 of the endless conveyor G clearly described in the herein referred to application Ser. No. 136,;473.

Now, since the can body and the male dip er element It are both urged against a rigid abutment, continued upward movement of the dipper assembly I will result in a movement of the female element l5 upwardly relative to the male element l8 which naturally reduces the internal I supported by the segment 24 and the guide rail,

volume of the chamber formed within said female and male elements and forces the coating material contained therein up into the can body supported between the male element l8 and the abutment 23. See Figure 4.

It should be noted that the volume of coating material displaced by the telescoping of the dipper assembly is slightly more than one-half the volume defined by the can body, so that when the coating material is forced into the can body it will coat slightly more than one-half of the internal surface thereof.

It should also be noted that the engagement between the can body lower flange and the inturned flange I! of the male dipper element is such that substantially the entire under surface of the can body flange will be coated as well as the internal surface of the body.

The dipper assembly H is then lowered by the cam and cross head connections, and this downward movement first effects an outward telescoping of the male and female elements I! and I to withdraw the coating'material from within the can body and then effects a separation of the entire dipper assembly from the can body now retained by the holder member 28. In this lowered position the entire dipper assembly is disposed below the surface of the coating material within the tank B and is refllled by a flowmg of the coating material through the upper end of the element It.

-When the dipper assembly reaches its lowered position following flood-coating of the can body thereabove, the turret has been rotated to aposition at which the conveyor chain G associated therewith leaves contact with the turret body is thus removed from the rotating turret,.

it is directed into and through the draining and setting chamber F where the excess coating material is drained of! and the can bodies are subjected to a hot air bath to partially set the coating thereon.

In order to facilitate replacement of dipper and cross head assemblies, should it become necessary to do so, the cam II is provided with a roll follower take-out slot 8| formed in the upper flange thereof above the cam groove l2 and disposed at substantially the middle of the dwell portion of the cam. It will be apparent that the individual cross heads 8 can be raised a distance suflicient to permit ready inspection or removal of the individual dipper assemblies ll after aligning the roll followers l8. thereof with the take-out slot 8|.

It is obvious that since only a little more than one-half of the can bodies are internally coated in the machine above described, it will be necessary to coat the remaining exposed metal surfaces of said cans. Therefore, after the can bodies are withdrawn from the chamber F, they are directed through any suitable type of inverting mechanism (not shown) and then processed in a second coating machine identical to the machine described herein to thereby complete the coating of the interior of the can body.

By effecting the coating of the internal surfaces of flanged can bodies in the manner described, and by. limiting the area covered at each treatment to slightly over one-half the total area, proper protection is 'givento the metal surfaces at both ends of the can bodies as well as the middle portions thereof.

Thus, it will be seen that the herein disclosed invention provides -a machine for coating approximately one-half of the internal surfaces of successively presented can bodies which includes novel turret-carried telescoping dipper assemblies normally submerged in the coating material and adapted to be moved upwardly into contact with the bottoms of flanged can bodies supported thereover and force material up into said can bodies for internally coating the same.

It is. of course w be understood that the details of structure and arrangement of parts may be dividually onto said dipper means, means for reciprocating said support, and means for supplying coating material to said dipper means each time the support is lowered, said abutment means being disposed above said dipper means whereby upon each lifting of the support said dipper means will lift the can body thereover against the 'abutment and into eilective engagement with said engaging means and cause said relatively movable portions to move relatively for reducing the coating material containing capacity of the dipper means and the coating material thus displaced through the open top of said dipper means to flood into and interiorly coat said can body.

2. In a machine for coating the internal surfaces of can bodies,'means for supporting individual can bodies each in an upright position, a supply tank containing coating material, individual dipper means engageable with individual can bodies and supplied with coating material from said tank, said dipper means including portions relatively movable for reducing the coating material containing capacitythereof and causing overflooding of coating material therefrom, and mechanical means for bringing about relative movement between said dipper means and said can bodies for causing the dipper means and can bodies to engage and said relatively movable portions to move relatively for flooding coating material into said can bodies and internally coating the same and for then restoring said relatively movable portions to normal and disengaging said dipper means from the bottoms of said can bodies and immersing said dipper means in the coating material in the tank for resupplying the'dipper means with coating material.

3. In a machine for coating the internal surfaces of can bodies, a supply tank containing coating material, a plurality of can body supporting units movable in an orbital path and each comprising upper and lower aligned supporting members adapted to receive a can body uprightly between them, said lower members each including telescopic parts adapted to confine a volume of coating material and telescopically collapsible for causing overflooding of coating material confined therein, and mechanical means for bringing about relative movement between the upper and lower supporting members of each axis disposed concentrically with respect to said supply tank, said turret being provided with a plurality of can body supporting units each comprising upper and lower supporting members adapted to receive a can body uprightly between them, each said lower support member including telescopic parts confining a volume of coating material and telescopically collapsible for causing overfiooding of coating material confined therein, and means including cam and follower connections for bringing about relative mOVG- mcnt between the upper and lower supporting members of each unit to first cause the upper and lower ends of the can body to be clamped between the upper and lower supporting members and then cause the telescopic parts of said lower supporting member to telescope and efiect a flooding of coating material into said can body for internally coating said can body and thereafter to cause said telescopic parts to return to normal and be immersed in the coating material in the tank for confining a volume of coating material therein.

6. In a machine for coating the internal surfaces of can bodies, a frame; an annular supply tank containing coating material; a turret rotatably mounted on'said frame and having its axis disposed concentrically with respect to said supply tank, said turret being provided with a plurality of can body supporting units each comprising upper and lower supporting members adapted to receive a can body uprightly between them, each said lower supporting member including a vertically reciprocable cross head and a cup-like dipper means composed of telescopic male and female elements carried thereby and unit to first cause the upper and lower ends of the can body to be clamped between the upper and lower supporting members and then cause the telescopic parts of said lower supporting member to telescope and eflect a flooding of coating material into said can body for internally coating said can body and thereafter to cause said telescopic parts to return-to normal and be immersed in the coating material in the tank for confining a volume of coating material therein.

4. In a machine for coating the internal surfaces of can bodies, a supply tank containing coating material, a plurality of can body supporting unitsmovable in an orbital path and each comprising upper and lower aligned supporting members adapted to receive a can body uprightly between them, said lower members each including telescopic parts adapted to confine a volume of coating material and telescopically collapsible for causing overflooding of coating material confined therein, and means including cam and follower connections for bringing about relative movement between the upper and lower supporting members of each unit to first cause the upper and lower ends of the can body to be clamped between'the upper and lower supporting members and then cause the telescopic parts of said lower supporting member to telescope and effect adapted to be supplied with coating material from said tank; and means including cam and follower connections for bringing about relative movement between the upper and'lower supporting members or .each unit to first cause the upper and lower ends of the can body to be clamped between the upper and lower supporting members and then cause the dipper elements of said lower supporting member to telescope and effect a flooding or coating material into said can body for internally coating the can body.

, '7. In a machine for coating the internal surfaces of can bodies, a frame; a turret rotatably mounted on said frame; a coating material supply tank encircling said turret and disposed therebelow; a cylindrical cam secured to said frame and concentrically disposed to the turret, said turret being provided with a plurality of can body supporting units each comprising upper and lower supporting members adapted to receive a can body uprightly between them, and a bracket dependably mounted thereon at the position of each said unit and provided with a vertically disposed guideway; each said lower supporting member including a cross head slidably mounted in a' guideway and operatively connected to said cylindrical cam, and a cup-like dipper means carried by said cross head and normally submerged in the coating material in said tank and composed of coating material confining telescoping male and female elements;and means for rotatin said turret and thereb reciprocatin said cross heads to first cause the upper and lower ends of a can body to be clamped between upper and lower supporting members and then cause the dipper elements of said lower supporta bracket dependably mounted thereon and pro-- thereby reciprocating said cross heads to first cause the upper and lower ends of the can body to be clamped between the upper and lower supporting members and their cause the-dipper parts of said lower supporting member to telescope and efiect afiooding of coating material into said can body for internally coating the can body, and for then disengaging said dipper means from the bottoms of said can bodies and re-submerging said dipper means in the coating material; and means for removing the internally coatedcan bodies from the turret.

9. A dipper assembly for can body coating machines comprising a main support having a vertically disposed guideway formed therein, a cross head slidably mounted in said guideway, an upsaid main support, a lower supporting means carried by said cross head 'and including telescoping male and female coating material confining elements, means constantly tending to urge said telescoping elements apart, means for presenting a can body for engagement uprightly between said upper and lower supporting members, means for bringing about relative movement between the upper and lower supporting members to first cause the upper and lower ends of the can body to be clamped between the upper and lower supporting members and then cause the male and female elements of saidlower supporting member to telescope and effect a flooding of coating material into the can body for internally coating the can body, and means for removing said coated can body from said support.

10. A dipper assembly for can body coating machines comprising a main support having avertically disposed guideway formed therein, a cross head slidably mounted in said guideway, an upper supporting member for can bodies secured to said main support, a lower supporting means carried by said cross head and including confining elements, means constantly tendingto urge said telescoping elements apart, means for presenting a can body for engagement uprightly between said upper and lower supporting members, means for bringing about relative move ment between the upper and lower supporting members to first cause the upper and lower ends of the can body to be clamped between the up-- per and lower supporting members and then cause the male and female elements of said lower supporting member to telescope and effect a flooding of coating material into the can body for internally coating the can body, means for moving said upper and lower supporting members in an orbital path, and means synchronously ,movable with said last named means for remov ing said coated can body from said support.

11. In a machine for coating the internal surfaces of can bodies, a rotatable turret; a plurality of dipper assemblies disposed equidistantly around the periphery of said turret and each ineluding a main support having a vertically disposed guideway formed therein, a cross head slidably mounted in said guideway, an upper supporting member for can bodies secured to said main support, and a lower supporting member carried by said cross head and including telescoping male and female coating material confining elements; means constantly tending to urge said telescoping elements apart, means for presenting can bodies for engagement uprightly between said upper and lower supporting members; means for bringing about relative movement between the upper and lower supporting members to first cause the upper and lower ends of the can body to be clamped between the upper and lower supporting members and then cause the male and female elements of said lower supporting member to telescope and effect a flooding of coating material into the can body for internally coating the can body surface, said turret including a sprocket annulus; and means for removing said coated can bodies from said support including a sprocket chain engaged with said sprocket annulus and supporting a plurality of can gripping elements adapted to engage and.

grip the can bodies.

12. In a machine for coating the internal surfaces of can bodies, an annular supply tank con- I telescoping male and female coating material 7 5 taining coating material; a turret: rotatably mounted on said frame and having its axis disposed concentrically with respect-to said supply tank; a plurality of dipper assemblies disposed equidistantly around the periphery of said turret and each including a main support having a vertically disposed guideway formed therein, a cross head slidably mounted in said guideway, an upper supporting member for can bodies secured to said main support, and a lower supporting member carried'by said cross head and including telescoping male and female coating material confining elements; means constantly tending to urge said telescoping elements apart; means for presenting can bodies for engagement uprightly between said upper and lower supporting members; means including cam and follower connections for imparting vertical reciprocatory movement to said lower supporting members to first cause the upper and lower ends of the can material into the can body for internally coating the can body, and finally cause said male and fomale elements of aafid lower sueportfing member to leecome submerged in the coating material in said supply for replenishing the coating materlal confined therein; and means for removing coated can bodies flrom said support including a sprocket chain engaged with said sprocket annulus and sunportlng a plurality of can gripping elements adapted to engage and grip can bodies.

13, In a machine for coating the internal surfaces of can bodies, a coating station, individual open tanned dipper means engagea'iole with individual can Foodies at said statflon, an abutment vertically apaced above the dipper means at said station, means for feeding can ocales in upright position between said abutment and dinner means at said station, said dipper means including por aeoaaes tions relatively movable for reducing the coating material containing capacity thereof and causing overflooding upwardly of coating material therefrom, means for supplying coating material to said dipper means, and means for bringing about relative vertical movement between said abutment and said dipper means to reduce the vertical spacing therebetween for causing the dipper means and the abutment to engage the upper and lower ends of an individually fed can body and said relatively movable portions to move relatively for flooding coating material upwardly into said can body and internally coating the same.

ALFRED L. mONQUEST. 

